Introduction

This work is divided into five sections that look towards the future of Freemasonry.

The first section, Three Voices, reviews three selected publications from the current body of work that address the future of Freemasonry.

The second section, How to Preserve and Stimulate Freemasonry, applies the discipline of the Business Week best-selling book, Built To Last, by authors Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras, to Freemasonry as an organization. Jim Collins is a student and teacher of enduring great companies—how they grow; how they attain superior performance; and, how good companies can become great companies. His books have been fixtures on the Business Week bestseller list and have been translated into 25 languages. His work has been featured in Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company.

The third section, Cult-Like Culture—Something To Believe In, explores the three building blocks that are essential for building an organization that can move the hearts and minds of its members and some of the reasons behind the failure of our grand lodge organizations from being able to accomplish this goal.

The fourth section, The Role of Grand Lodges, applies the same questions asked about Freemasonry in the second section to Grand Lodges, and presents some conclusions on one possible root cause of the disease afflicting Freemasonry, as well as proposing some chemotherapy for grand lodges that could help lead to a cure.

The concluding section, Orbiting the Giant Hairball, challenges grand lodges to create an environment that encourages creativity within their subordinate lodges.

In summary, this paper challenges our grand lodge leaders to imagine a dynamic future for Freemasonry. Grand Lodges officers need to lead with progressive action to respond to the needs, hopes, and aspirations of today’s young Freemason. Freemasons were meant to be great innovators, and it’s about time that we pick up our working tools and begin to labor to restore this rich legacy.